From Hip Hop to Bass

Sound System culture a Family affair…(how it evolved from beginnings to modern day)

Hosted by Executive Steve.

At the core of every great party is a great sound system. It’s the most important starting point of the ingredients to create the vibe and allow the music to be felt and heard the way it was intended. Without Kool Herc’s sound system, the first block party would never have had the same impact, meaning the sound system pretty much laid the foundations of the 5 Pillars. There would never really have been a party without Kool Herc;s, infamous Sound System. Sound Systems were established in Kingston, Jamaica in the 1950’s, and they form an integral part of hip hop culture and history.

Kool Herc and his family brought Jamaican sound system culture to New York in the early 70’s, fussing the breaks off various funk and percussive records and creating the first block party on record and one of the first beginning points of what we call Hip Hop today. Early Sound Systems were created by Jamaicans who were moving back and forth from the USA in the 1940’s and 50’s. They were influenced by the R&B bands playing through PA systems at New York block parties and they made the idea their own by generating homemade rudimentary Sound Systems.At this time, Jamaican radio stations were modelled off of BBC radio, which refused to play certain genres of music. This prompted Jamaican DJs and Sound Systems to play the music that the people wanted. They loaded vans with generators, speakers, amplifiers and turntables and transported new music to street parties.Sound Systems have shaped Notting Hill Carnival immeasurably since their introduction in the mid-1970s. Their development and proliferation culminated in 36 official Sound Systems performing at Notting Hill Carnival 2019, playing a range of musical styles and genres. Sim Simma crew, one of Ireland’s leading sound systems will walk us through the history and how it’s evolved, its influence on music, the way we listen to music in a live environment and all types of bass music of the present and future. From Reggae to Grime and Drum & Bass to Bass line Garage Hip Hop To R&B without the sound system there’s no bloc party.

Talk with special guests Fabio & Grooverider, Ben Bix & Aoife Nic Canna.